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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE LAS OLAS ASSOCIATION'S “LAS OLAS ROCKS” CHARITY CAMPAIGN TO BENEFIT NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY'S MAILMAN SEGAL INSTITUTE AND JOE DIMAGGIO CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
Rocking Chairs Decorated by Award-Winning Artists will Adorn Las Olas Blvd. and be Auctioned Off for Charities FORT LAUDERDALE, FL— Rocking chairs uniquely decorated by award-winning artists will adorn Las Olas Boulevard as the Las Olas Association debuts the “Las Olas Rocks” charitable campaign that will benefit Bea's Fund at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital Foundation, and the PAT Plus program at Nova Southeastern University's Mailman Segal Institute for Early Childhood Studies. The campaign will enlist over 100 artists to design rocking chairs in different themes using their wildest imagination for celebrities and sponsors. Each artist will donate their time and design for these charities. Four of the decorated chairs will be unveiled at the 16 th Annual Las Olas Art Fair on March 6 & 7, 2004 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Las Olas Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale . The first four artists chosen to design the sample rocking chairs at the Art Fair are Terri Elenzweig, Davi, Calvin Walton and Kurt Ruby. All artists have traveled nationally and have earned numerous awards in their respective fields. Each artist will be on hand at the Las Olas Art Fair to discuss their involvement as well as their inspirations for the rocking chairs. Over the course of the next six months, volunteers for Bea's Fund and PAT Plus will sell sponsorships for each rocking chair. The goal set forth for this charity campaign is to design the chairs and have them displayed on Las Olas Blvd during September and October, after which all chairs will be auctioned off to raise additional funds. According to Howard Alan, board member of the Las Olas Association, “When we met with members of Bea's Fund and PAT Plus for discussion of a charity campaign, we didn't have to think twice about what we could do. Las Olas Blvd. has attracted tourists and residents alike for years, and because of its popularity, we are able to do this campaign. Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital and PAT Plus hold a special place in the hearts of our community, and we are honored to be chosen to participate in this campaign.” Bea's Fund's “Art for the Heart” (named after local artist Bea Hovancak-Stanley) is dedicated to creating supportive and healing environments for children afflicted with cancer and other serious illnesses. Research has proven the powerful impact that art can have on the healing process by calming a child's body, mind and spirit, while opening channels through which healing can flow. Children and families facing the trauma of hospitalization will be encircled in colors of artistry and love helping to ease their fear and pain during treatments at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital. PAT Plus is a specialized program at NSU's Mailman Segal Institute, funded through a grant from the Children's Services Council, providing individualized education and support for at-risk families with children from birth to five years of age, with a focus on premature infants. From birth, parents who are enrolled in the program receive one-to-one assistance from a PAT Plus NICU nurse who provides support and education, and acts as a liaison with Joe DiMaggio Hospital to ensure that the family's and the child's needs are being met. Upon discharge, PAT Plus-certified educators provide a home-based visiting program that strengthens families, enhances parenting skills and increases developmental growth. For more information on this campaign and a possible sponsorship of one of the rocking chairs, please call Bea's Fund at (954) 792-1924, or contact the Mailman Segal Institute's Rachel Docekal at (954) 262-7113, or Debbie Rudnicki at (954) 262-6933. Nova Southeastern University 's Mailman Segal Institute for Early Childhood Studies, formerly known as the Family Center , provides a range of programs designed to strengthen families and enhance the ability of parents and caregivers to foster the healthy development of children. The institute, housed at the Jim & Jan Moran Family Center Village on NSU's main campus, showcases best practices in the fields of early childhood education, family support, and parenting education, achieving its mission through direct services to families and children, and development and implementation of early childhood education and training programs, community outreach programs, and advocacy. Some of the institute's programs include Early Learning Programs designed for children birth through five years of age, an infant/toddler childcare center, the Family Center Preschool, and the Baudhuin Preschool, a specialized program for children with autism spectrum disorder. For more information on the Mailman Segal Institute for Early Childhood Studies and its programs, visit http://www.nova.edu/msi .
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